1910-1914 Sturmey Archer ‘Type X’ Three-Speed

1910-1914 STURMEY ARCHER ‘TYPE X’ THREE-SPEED

I bought a 1910 Imperial Triumph Gent’s Roadster at Beaulieu, and this ‘Type X’ hub and trigger had been fitted to it. The Triumph had an incomplete band brake, and the seller suggested it would be possible to attach the band brake to this hub, as per the illustration in the 1910 Triumph catalogue (below) showing this option.

On further inspection, I realised his suggestion was not possible, as there was no easy way to mate the band brake to the hub; if you look closely at the illustration you can see that it is not a normal ‘Type X’ hub that was used, and neither is it the previous Sturmey Archer model, the Type V. I assume that Triumph adapted a hub especially fot the band brake.

This was obviously why he sold the bike at Beaulieu as an unfinished project! Nevertheless, I enjoyed researching the subject, and I’m pleased to own a ‘Type X’ in good condition, which I’ll fit to a bike in due course, and also a ‘Type V’ (seen on the previous page), which is much rarer and will probably remain on my shelf along with other early geared hubs.

STURMEY ARCHER ‘TYPE X’ and ‘TYPE V’

Reproduction of relevant pages from THE STURMEY ARCHER STORY with thanks to its author Tony Hadland